Catharanthus plant named ‘Suncath 132’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Catharanthus  plant named ‘Suncath 132’, characterized by its upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely basal branching habit; freely flowering habit; long flowering period; relatively small star-shaped purplish red-colored flowers with white-colored centers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Catharanthus roseus.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUNCATH 132’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR/APPLICANT & ASSIGNEE

The Inventor/Applicant and Assignee, Suntory Flowers Limited of Tokyo, Japan, assert that no publications nor advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor/Applicant and/or the Assignee. Inventor/Applicant and Assignee claim a prior art exemption under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filing date.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Catharanthus plant, botanically known as Catharanthus roseus and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Suncath 132’.

The new Catharanthus plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new uniform and freely branching Catharanthus plants with numerous small attractive flowers.

The new Catharanthus plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventor in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan in September, 2011 of a proprietary selection of Catharanthus roseus identified as code designation FS22-9, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Catharanthus roseus identified as code designation CL, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Catharanthus plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan in September, 2013.

Asexual reproduction of the new Catharanthus plant by vegetative tip cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan since December, 2013, has shown that the unique features of this new Catharanthus plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Catharanthus have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Suncath 132’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Suncath 132’ as a new and distinct Catharanthus plant:

-   -   1. Upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly mounding plant         habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely basal branching habit.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Long flowering period.     -   6. Relatively small star-shaped purplish red-colored flowers         with white-colored centers.     -   7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Catharanthus can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Catharanthus differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Catharanthus have smaller flowers than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Catharanthus have purplish red-colored         flowers whereas plants of the female parent selection have         red-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Catharanthus can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Catharanthus differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Catharanthus have smaller flowers than         plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Catharanthus have purplish red-colored         flowers whereas plants of the male parent selection have         lavender pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Catharanthus can be compared to plants of the Catharanthus roseus ‘Suncatha 2460’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 27,455. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Catharanthus differ from plants of ‘Suncatha 2460’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Catharanthus are not as broad as plants of         ‘Suncatha 2460’.     -   2. Plants of the new Catharanthus have larger flower petals than         plants of ‘Suncatha 2460’.     -   3. Plants of the new Catharanthus and ‘Suncatha 2460’ differ in         flower color as plants of the new Catharanthus have purplish         red-colored flowers whereas plants of ‘Suncatha 2460’ have light         red purple-colored flowers.     -   4. Flowers of plants of the new Catharanthus have a larger “eye         zone” than flowers of plants of ‘Suncatha 2460’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Catharanthus plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Catharanthus plant.

The photograph on the first sheet (FIG. 1) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Suncath 132’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet (FIG. 2) is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Suncath 132’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the summer in 24-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typical of commercial production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 25° C. and night temperatures averaged 15° C. Plants were four months old when the photographs were taken and five months old when the description was taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Catharanthus roseus ‘Suncath 132’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Catharanthus roseus identified as code designation FS22-9,             not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Catharanthus roseus identified as code designation CL, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative tip cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About two weeks at             temperatures about 30° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About three weeks at             temperatures about 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About five             weeks at temperatures about 30° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About six             weeks at temperatures about 25° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; typically white in color, actual             color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition,             water quality, fertilizer type and formulation, substrate             temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Upright to outwardly spreading and             uniformly mounding plant habit; freely basal branching             habit, about ten basal branches each with about seven             secondary branches developing per plant; vigorous growth             habit.         -   Plant height.—About 23 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 45 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 19.4 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 4 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 8 mm.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Aspect.—Upright to outwardly.         -   Texture.—Sparsely pubescent.         -   Color.—Close to 144D. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 2.9 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.4 cm.         -   Shape.—Oblong.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; reticulate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137C.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 144A. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A; venation,             close to N144D. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 138A; venation, close to 145C.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 3.1 mm. Diameter: About 1.1 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 145C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Single star-shaped salverform             flowers arising from upper leaf axils; freely flowering             habit with about twelve flowers per lateral branch; flowers             face mostly upright to slightly outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flowering habit.—Plants begin flowering about two to three             weeks after planting; long flowering period, in the garden,             plants flower continuously from the early summer to late             autumn in Japan.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about two to three             days on the plant; flowers not persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2.8 cm. Diameter: About 3.3 mm.             Shape: Ovoid to cylindrical. Color: Close to 64B; towards             the base, close to 150D.         -   Flower diameter.—About 3 cm.         -   Flower length (depth).—About 2.3 cm.         -   Tube length.—About 1.9 cm.         -   Tube diameter, proximally.—About 1.1 mm.         -   Tube diameter, distally.—About 1.7 mm.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Five petals in a single whorl fused at             the base into a tube. Petal length from throat: About             1.5 cm. Petal width: About 7.7 mm. Petal eye zone diameter:             About 3.8 mm. Petal shape: Narrowly elliptic to             oblanceolate. Petal apex: Cuspidate. Petal base: Fused to             corolla tube. Petal margin: Entire; slightly to not             undulate. Petal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Throat texture: Pubescent. Tube texture:             Pubescent. Color: Petal, when opening, upper surface: Close             to 67A. Petal, when opening, lower surface: Close to 67C;             towards the tube, close to 69C. Petal, fully opened, upper             surface: Close to 67A; color becoming closer to N66C with             development; eye zone, close to NN155D. Petal, fully opened,             lower surface: Close to N66C; towards the tube, close to             69C. Throat: Close to 144B. Tube: Close to 145C.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: Star-shaped tubular calyx with five             sepals fused towards the base. Sepal length: About 2 mm.             Sepal width: About 1 mm. Sepal shape: Deltoid. Sepal apex:             Acute. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Sparsely pubescent. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 144A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1.5 mm. Diameter: About 1.1 mm.             Angle: Upright to outwardly. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Sparsely pubescent. Color: Close to 144B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five;             filaments fuse to the corolla tube. Anther size: About 0.8             mm by 1.5 mm. Anther shape: Narrowly elliptic. Anther color:             Close to 154D. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to             158D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length:             About 1.8 cm. Style color: Close to 145D. Stigma shape:             Globose. Stigma color: Close to 144A. Ovary color: Close to             145A. Seeds and fruits: To date, seed and fruit development             have not been observed on plants of the new Catharanthus. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Catharanthus have been     observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate wind, rain     and temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 35° C. to 40° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Catharanthus     have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common     to Catharanthus plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Catharanthus plant named ‘Suncath 132’ as illustrated and described. 